BOC celebrates results of £60 million investment programme

Trade News

Guildford, UK, 22 September 2010 – BOC’s new, state-of-the-art air separation unit (ASU) in Scunthorpe, UK, was formally opened today by local MP Nic Dakin and Dr Aldo Belloni, Member of the Executive Board of BOC’s parent, The Linde Group. The 45 metre (150 ft) high fractionating column is a new feature on the Scunthorpe skyline.

The new unit is capable of producing 1,600 tonnes of oxygen a day for its main customer in the region, Corus Steel. The technology takes air and separates it into oxygen, nitrogen and argon by cooling it to around -200°C. The gases separate at different temperatures and are drawn off into storage units or pipelines.

A new dedicated pipeline delivers the high-pressure oxygen direct to the Corus blast furnaces five kilometres (three miles) away.

The final phase of the regeneration project at BOC Scunthorpe will see the existing ASU overhauled and refurbished, giving the site an overall oxygen production capacity of nearly 4,000 tonnes per day.

Mike Huggon, BOC’s Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, stressed the company’s commitment to the area. “BOC built its first air separation unit on this site more than 50 years ago primarily to service the steel industry. This new unit represents state-of-the-art technology for the 21st century, incorporating much higher levels of energy efficiency. This latest £60 million investment is a sign of our commitment to provide a reliable supply of industrial gases to our many customers in the region – including, of course, Corus – for years to come. Industry in Lincolnshire and Humberside can rely on BOC.”

Nic Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe County, highlighted the importance of the investment to the area. “BOC has long been part of this region’s industrial backbone. We welcome this continuing commitment to our community and hope that other industries will see the benefits of locating to this region where we have good infrastructure and excellent facilities.”

The new air separation unit was constructed following BOC’s successful negotiation of a new contract to supply the Corus steelworks with oxygen. Corus works manager for energy and infrastructure, Mark Evans, said: “We are working with BOC on this major investment in state-of-the-art technology as part of our 15-year supply contract with the company. As well as ensuring optimum efficiency of gas supply to our site, this is a demonstration of our commitment to the future outputs of the Scunthorpe steelworks and will further support us in delivering world-class steel from Scunthorpe across the world."

Notes to editors

A photo to accompany this release is available from BOC. Please contact Simon Napper. Email: simon.napper@. Tel: +44 7500 815166.

Picture caption: Nic Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe, (left) and Dr Aldo Belloni, Member of the Executive Board of The Linde Group, formally open the new air separation unit (ASU) at BOC’s Scunthorpe site in North Lincolnshire.

BOC
BOC is a member of The Linde Group. An industrial, medical and special gases provider, the company supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment. For more than a century the company's gases and expertise have contributed to advances in many areas of everyday life, and industries including steelmaking, refining, chemical processing, environmental protection, wastewater treatment, welding and cutting, food processing and distribution, glass production, electronics and health care. For more information visit: www.BOConline.co.uk

The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com